My Playpark XP experience

I really intend to make a late review about Playpark XP event happened last November 14, 2015. This is to ponder what goes wrong, what is not good, what is great, and what needs improvement with the grand event facilitated by Playpark Philippines.

There is exaggeration to some comers who went as early as 10 PM, the day before the event. It is understandable to people who live far away from Metro Manila (Rizal province, Batangas, etc.). However, people just wanted to grab the early bird items and the slot in the Special Force 2 tournament.

NVDIA team invades Playpark XP! RicoTrooper's the one in athletic attire with boonie hat.
(From left to right) Jeff, Johanest, Rico, John Alfred (our captain), and Jam

I arrived around 6 AM on the area, wearing my athletic uniform. The delay of my arrival was caused by a stupid jeep that I rode where he don't know where Ynares Sports Arena was. People are staring at me as I walk looking for my teammates and wearing the uniform none can ever possess. Others were wearing casual clothes... Other tournament goers wear printed shirts bearing their Corps name in-game, semi-casual, and the rest were like hoodlums and gangsters wearing camouflage trousers. There are few who wear the military uniform but they do not know how to blouse the trousers.

"Kalyeserye na!" On-goers shout as they wait in the long line.

The line was very disorganized and the other on-goers are very undisciplined. They kept on yelling random stuff like "Kalyeserye na", *some complain about the time*, and the heat of the sun. My teammates keep on saying that I need to get some shade... However, I kept telling them that I am used to the heat of the sun.

As 10 AM hits the clock, the security and staff starts to organize the line but it make things complicated. There is no venue map (what inside the venue looks like) posted beforehand, there aren't much concessionaires that sell food, and the event started really late (where most of the on-goers, including tournament players, are hungry and dehydrated).

This traffic is like those in train stations.
Try finding Waldo as you look on this picture

The traffic of the people inside the venue is very heavy. There are no good spaces for people to come by. The SF 2 tournament registration and getting freebies caused the traffic along and near the entrance. However, the group ticket event also caused much traffic inside the venue. The food concessionaire is really far away. People tend to go outside Ynares Sports Arena to buy food... Moreover, it create a huge stress to tournament team players because they don't know when their match starts.

My team (NVDIA) were really stressed to the core that most of us ate lunch around 2 PM because of the great disorganized facilitation of the tournament. I managed to prepare my pack lunch so that I can save money on food (it is base on my experience on how expensive food is on events like this and anime conventions). Since the stage made for sensationalists and entertainment purpose, they did not really used the microphone to announce what really happens along the events covered entirely in the Playpark XP.

There is also no time table on what event will happen on a particular time. If these are impromptu, they can still take advantage of the mic and speakers to announce and call the attention of specific people.

I managed to change to my combat attire with charcoal face paint before the tournament starts. I don't mingle much on other teams but there is that one man from the "ScoutRanger Corps" asked if I am also a member of the Guardians. I didn't speak much about my profile but I think anyone in the Army will get angry at their Corps name... as it (refers to the Philippine Army Scout Ranger Regiment) is regarded with high respect for their achievements in the field.

There are other in-game Corps who joined the tournament like ANBU (popularized Corps from Naruto), Kingsman (from the Kingsman movie, who were neither tailors nor spies at all), and others. From my lurking along the event, I noticed that there is one minor (probably around 13 or 14 years of age) playing the game on the tournament seat, testing his loadout.

I thought anyone below 16 years of age cannot participate in the tournament because of its mature
content. What do you know? The one on the middle (that kid) is the one I am talking about.

The tournament was divided into two brackets: Bracket A, and Bracket B. We were briefed by a Community Master of Playpark about what goes along the tournament bouts. The facilitators catered the great number of teams who desired to participate the tournament, where it really caused the delays in the start of the tournament. Moreover, I was called out for a photoshoot for promoting Special Force 2 (and until now, I haven't seen the camera shots from our photoshoot).

Our tournament bout started around 6 PM.

I tested my loadout as usual. I am fond of using Steyr AUG A3 as my main combat rifle (good for countering snipers). I had the Infinity pistol as my sidearm. Though, while waiting for the bout, I saw quick scope tricks of snipers on different players and grenade throwing contest on booming the enemy right on the spot.

Anyway, our team had a difficulty in dealing with ANBU-II because the captain does not have a clear plan on carrying out the tactics (because the ANBU-II sniper is good at aiming); we just only scored a point on the bout. Moreover, the map he called on was a commonly used map since the first Special Forces and everyone is familiar on the tricks around the place (especially when striking the target points A and B). Lastly, we don't have a team practice before the tournament because of schedule problems.

The bout ended on the score of 5-1, emerging ANBU-II as the winner. I had nothing to blame because both teams did their best on whatever they can to win... but only one will emerge as winner.

What went wrong to Playpark XP

The facilitator should have prepared at least three (3) days before to lay everything out because events like E-Sport tournament will really rally many event-goers from tournament participants to walk-in goers to see what's in the event will come. Of course, walk-in goers will be after for the freebies.

Some even made videos of how did their Php 100 go like... "You cannot get all of these for Php 100 of buying stuff elsewhere but Playpark XP."

The ticket booth really lacks system, as well as the orderliness of the line. The bouncers and the staff had a hard time organizing the line quickly because of that. Some on-goers argue about their poor timing of fixing the lines despite of what they said, "10 AM, magpapasok na kami." 2 hours cooked in the heat is alright with me, but to the others with respiratory problems and poor heat resistance is "grilled on hot charcoal for dinner for two hours." Heat sears at 32°C as on-goers took cover on the shade and rehydrate themselves while waiting in line.

Because of their poor system, the entire event started late! Our team got in around 12:30 PM, haven't eaten lunch because our team needs to register for the tournament. Tournament lines made the great traffic in the venue. That really adds toll and pain to the on-goers.

The bleachers/seats in the venue is great for the on-goers to take some rest, but it's just made the venue space small; and every booth is compressed! Perhaps consider getting a bigger venue (or a strategic place) and quite accessible (easy to go since it's a well-known place) for on-goers to visit the place.

Summary

My Playpark XP experience is quite fair. To be fair enough, arriving early takes toll to my pocket money... but a little organized stuff in the system might help improve Playpark's events in the future... and it will take less toll for on-goers like me.